Haven Hospice Receives Donation from an Unexpected Source

As she plopped her pouch of coins down on the front desk, Madison Dear, the vibrant 7-year-old great granddaughter of a Haven Hospice patient, stated “I have $1,000 I would like to donate.”

“It looks like you have a thousand coins,” said Katrina Powell, secretary at the Suwannee Valley Care Center in Lake City. “Let’s count them together.”

After she helped Madison count out the grand total of $13.03, Madison confidently filled out the donor form to officially make her contribution. Powell said she was surprised by the little girl because she had never seen someone so young want to make a donation.

“Most children want to buy a toy or a game, or lip gloss, but not many think about donating to a good cause,” said Powell. “It was a very nice gesture.”

Tiffany Dear, Madison’s mother, said she had no idea of her daughter’s intentions until they arrived at the care center that day. Madison had been saving coins for quite some time, but had only recently began carrying her collection around in her pouch.

“She had been using her money to buy a snack or drink from vending machines, which is why I thought she was bringing it to the care center,” said Dear. “It surprised me when she said she wanted to donate it, but she has a very sweet heart and always wants to help.”

If it weren’t for the funding from generous donors and supporters, Haven Hospice would not be able to help so many patients and families in the community. Haven is honored and privileged to have served more than 68,000 patients and families in North Florida over the past 35 years and has always been committed to providing programs and services regardless of an individual’s ability to pay. One hundred percent of the gifts and donations made to Haven remain in the communities it serves and helps provide care for patients unable to pay, as well as the many unfunded programs and services such as transitions support, grief support, and community education and resources.